Passing
There are several consistencies of Passing that we also discuss in Heading, Juggling, Striking the Ball with the Laces. These consistent factors are where we want to start, but we must also look at what really happens compared to those myths of passing that you will see on other video, hear on training fields, and read in soccer books.
Non-kicking foot is placed behind the ball not beside the ball which is generally taught. When you watch the video and when you look at the Hit & Split technique, notice that the plant foot is placed behind the ball and it is the toe that is barely overlapping the ball. We say that inside of the foot passes are played 'Off the Toe'. This doesn't mean that we kick the ball with the toe, but it does mean that the ball is just in front of the non-kicking or plant foot.
Like Ball Striking with the laces, we want to forget that leaning back makes the ball go up in the air. We can play a pass with the inside of the foot without leaning over top of the ball. In fact if you look at the frozen frame of the video above, you will see that the passer has hips forward and shoulders back. And as we have spoken to with several other techniques, the longer body allows for a greater pre-stretch, thus a more dynamic stretch-reflex to be utilized. The passer with the open body uses more than just the hip flexors to generate power on the pass. After the ball contact, the passer should have to step backwards with the kicking foot to catch their balance if their weight is back and on the heel throughout the technique.
Let's address two other factors that are often referenced with regard to the direction that the feet point during an inside of the foot pass. First, the plant foot is open to the target, meaning, it is better to point the toe out instead of at the target which is generally coached. This makes for a more comfortable swing of the other leg, helps with balance helping keep the weight on the heel, and it also invokes slightly more stretch reflex (much like Ball Striking with the laces). Second, it is often coached that the kicking foot should point directly out to the side so it is perpendicular to the line of flight of the pass and is opened up like a putter in golf so that the flat surface ensures a straight pass. Unfortunately, this does not guarantee a straight pass, and when these two foot positions are coached together they form a very uncomfortable 'L' shape between the two feet (if the player is hitting a ball with the right foot that is).
Instead, consider that the toe of the non-kicking foot be pointed out (open to the target) and the kicking foot is also open to the target forming a 'V' with the two feet. This may imply that their will be a slight spin on the pass, and this will happen, however this spin when controlled by learning the contact spot on the ball is a necessary skill. The 'V' position will also bring forth stronger and more accurate passing when combined with an open body of shoulders back and hips forward.
The contact point on the foot, is back by the ankle so there is a large area and the toe should be up and locked (this is one of two positions that the foot can be locked firm because of bone on bone flexion or extension (striking with the laces requires extension)).
Controlling a Ball on the Ground
Controlling a ball on the ground or slightly in the air is essentially a reverse of passing. The posture should be similar, although there are times when the upper body bends forward slightly because of the movement of the body as a whole. We have always been told that as the ball comes to use, we should attempt to absorb the ball like catching an egg by drawing the foot or other body part backwards. This cushioning works if the ball is traveling very slowly, but at the top level of the game, players consistently draw the body back instead of a single body part (i.e. foot, thigh).
This effective means of controlling the ball involves two factors. First, a body that is in the air when the contact with the ball is made will always take up some of the energy that the ball has in it. Consequently, a player should attempt to be in the air on their first touch. Second, instead of jumping up to be the air (the ball may go underneath your foot) the player controlling should hop or push themselves backwards. This doesn't require them being very high off the ground, in fact with practice, it seems as though the sole of the shoe is just barely off of the ground and still in the grass as they move backwards. The controlling foot is out in front of the body and the ball is most often controlled 'off of the toe'. Again, this does not mean with the toe, but simply the position relative to the body. And like passing, the ankle should be locked with the toe pointing up.
In the below example it is clear that the players are hopping backwards ('in air on first touch'), but it is a work in progress and as they begin to 'test' one another with harder and hard passes their first touch occasionally runs away from them. Players should be encouraged to test each others ability to deal with firmly hit passes. This is part of reaching to the next level of competence.
